Position: Director of Buildings and Grounds (Pre K-12)Location: Wachusett Regional School District Pay: $110,000 - $130,000 Individual Contract Reports to: Superintendent of SchoolsThe Director of Buildings and Grounds provides district-wide leadership for the operation, maintenance, safety, security, and long-term stewardship of all Wachusett Regional School District facilities, grounds, athletic fields, and related physical assets.
The Director oversees custodial, maintenance, grounds, preventive maintenance, building systems, energy management, contracted services, capital improvements, construction and renovation projects, facility use, and emergency response. The position is responsible for developing and managing the Facilities and Grounds budget and assisting the Superintendent and School Committee with long-range facilities planning, capital improvements, and maintenance.
The Director works collaboratively with District administrators, principals, staff, municipal officials, architects, engineers, contractors, vendors, consultants, regulatory agencies, and community organizations and must be available to respond to significant facility emergencies outside of normal working hours.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities Facilities Operations and Maintenance - Provide district-wide oversight of the operation, maintenance, repair, cleanliness, safety, security, and condition of all District buildings and grounds.
- Establish consistent District standards and procedures for custodial, maintenance, grounds, preventive maintenance, and facility operations.
- Develop and oversee preventive maintenance programs and monitor major building systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, building envelope, fire protection, life-safety systems, elevators, generators, and building automation.
- Oversee work orders, service contracts, repairs, equipment, vehicles, supplies, and other District physical assets.
- Maintain a regular presence throughout District facilities and respond to significant facility-related issues and emergencies.
Custodial, Maintenance and Grounds Operations - Provide leadership and oversight for custodial, maintenance, grounds, landscaping, and snow-removal operations.
- Supervise and evaluate assigned facilities personnel and designated supervisory staff.
- Assist with recruitment, staffing, training, professional development, and performance management of facilities personnel.
- Establish staffing plans, schedules, operational procedures, and performance expectations.
- Work collaboratively with principals, administrators, head custodians, maintenance personnel, and Human Resources to address operational and personnel matters.
- Make recommendations to the Superintendent regarding staffing, organizational structure, and resource allocation.
Capital Planning, Construction and Renovation - Assist the Superintendent and School Committee in developing and maintaining a multi-year District Facilities Master Plan and Capital Improvement Plan.
- Identify and prioritize deferred maintenance, building system replacements, renovations, accessibility improvements, energy projects, and major capital needs.
- Oversee District construction, renovation, remodeling, and major repair projects.
- Review plans, specifications, contracts, schedules, budgets, and project documentation.
- Monitor projects for compliance with approved plans, budgets, schedules, safety requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
- Work with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, municipal officials, and state agencies.
- Assist with Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) projects and processes and represent the District on building committees and project teams as assigned.
Budget, Procurement and Contract Management - Develop, manage, monitor, and present the annual Facilities and Grounds budget.
- Prepare budget and capital recommendations for the Superintendent and School Committee.
- Monitor operating and capital expenditures and develop cost estimates for maintenance, repairs, equipment, contracts, and projects.
- Identify opportunities for operational efficiencies, energy savings, and cost reductions.
- Solicit and evaluate bids, proposals, and quotes and assist with specifications, contracts, and procurement documents.
- Ensure compliance with Massachusetts procurement laws, prevailing wage requirements, public bidding requirements, and CommBuys procedures.
- Monitor contractor and vendor performance and maintain appropriate contract and purchasing records.
- Assist in identifying grants, rebates, incentives, and other funding opportunities.
Safety, Compliance and Risk Management - Promote safe working conditions throughout District facilities and grounds.
- Maintain knowledge of Massachusetts building and fire codes, OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, accessibility standards, and applicable health and safety regulations.
- Coordinate required inspections, permits, certifications, testing, and compliance activities.
- Identify and communicate facility conditions that present safety, liability, or operational concerns.
- Work with the Superintendent, Human Resources, legal counsel, insurance representatives, municipal officials, and regulatory agencies on facility-related compliance and risk-management matters.
Emergency Response - Maintain availability to respond to significant facility emergencies outside normal working hours.
- Coordinate District responses to severe weather, flooding, fire, utility failures, HVAC failures, water damage, hazardous conditions, security concerns, and other facility emergencies.
- Coordinate with police, fire, emergency management, public works, utilities, contractors, and other agencies as appropriate.
- Assist District leadership in determining whether facilities can safely remain open during facility-related emergencies.
- Maintain emergency contact information, response procedures, and facility contingency plans.
Energy, Sustainability and Environmental Management - Develop and implement sustainable and environmentally responsible facilities-management practices.
- Monitor utility consumption and identify opportunities for energy conservation and cost savings.
- Oversee or coordinate building automation, HVAC efficiency, lighting, water conservation, recycling, and other sustainability initiatives.
- Evaluate environmentally responsible products and practices when practical and financially appropriate.
- Pursue available energy, sustainability, and environmental grants and incentives.
Facility Use and Community Coordination - Assist in establishing procedures for the use of District facilities by schools, athletic programs, municipalities, community organizations, and other approved users.
- Coordinate facility requirements for after-hours events, athletic activities, rentals, and community use.
- Work with member-community municipal departments and officials regarding facilities, emergency response, public safety, utilities, infrastructure, and community events.
- Serve as a primary District contact for facility-related matters involving municipalities, contractors, vendors, regulatory agencies, and community organizations.
Records, Technology and Reporting - Utilize computerized maintenance management systems and other technology to monitor work orders, preventive maintenance, inventories, contracts, projects, and facility conditions.
- Maintain accurate facility, maintenance, inspection, contract, inventory, safety, and expenditure records.
- Develop and maintain a district-wide facilities database and preventive maintenance schedule.
- Provide regular reports and recommendations to the Superintendent and, when appropriate, the School Committee regarding facility conditions, projects, expenditures, emergencies, and long-term needs.
Communication and District Leadership - Establish effective working relationships with District administrators, principals, employees, municipal officials, contractors, vendors, consultants, students, families, and members of the public.
- Communicate facility-related issues, recommendations, emergencies, and project updates clearly and promptly.
- Provide technical and operational recommendations to the Superintendent and School Committee.
- Attend School Committee, administrative, building committee, municipal, community, and other meetings as assigned, including evening meetings.
- Maintain confidentiality regarding District personnel, financial, security, student, and other sensitive information.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent of Schools.
Minimum Qualifications - Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in facilities management, construction, building operations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated supervisory and management experience.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple facilities, projects, contractors, vendors, and competing priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to develop, manage, monitor, and present a facilities and grounds budget.
- Valid Massachusetts driver's license.
- Demonstrated knowledge of building operations, maintenance, construction, and facility management.
- Ability and willingness to respond to significant facility emergencies outside normal working hours.
- Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Superintendent may find appropriate and acceptable.
Preferred and Additional Qualifications - Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Facilities Management, Construction Management, Engineering, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field preferred.
- Certified Facility Administrator (CFA) certification preferred.
- Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) certification required or ability to obtain within one year.
- OSHA 30 certification preferred.
- Experience in a Massachusetts public school district, municipal government, or comparable public-sector organization preferred.
- Experience with the MSBA process highly desirable.
- Knowledge of Massachusetts procurement laws, prevailing wage requirements, public bidding, bid specifications, and CommBuys.
- Knowledge of Massachusetts building and fire codes, OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, accessibility standards, and safety regulations.
- Knowledge of construction and design-services contract administration.
- Experience with CMMS, building automation, energy management, preventive maintenance, capital planning, construction management, and facility renovation.
- Working knowledge of HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and other major building systems.
- Strong organizational, managerial, analytical, problem-solving, written, verbal, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively manage budgets, contracts, capital projects, and competing priorities.
Physical Demands - Ability to regularly walk throughout District buildings, grounds, athletic fields, playgrounds, parking areas, and construction sites.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and climb and descend stairs.
- Ability to access mechanical rooms, storage areas, elevated areas, crawl spaces, attics, and other facility spaces when necessary and safe.
- Ability to navigate uneven, wet, icy, muddy, or otherwise variable surfaces.
- Ability to work outdoors in varying weather conditions.
- Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, stretch, and maneuver as necessary for inspections.
- Ability to occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without assistance.
- Ability to inspect equipment, building systems, construction work, and facility conditions in difficult-to-access areas.
- Ability to operate a motor vehicle and travel between District facilities, construction sites, municipal offices, and other locations.
- Ability to use computers, tablets, telephones, and other technology for extended periods.
- Ability to visually inspect facilities, equipment, construction projects, and safety conditions and distinguish colors when necessary.
- Ability to read and interpret plans, blueprints, specifications, technical documents, signage, and equipment displays.
- Ability to hear alarms, equipment sounds, verbal communications, and emergency notifications.
- Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, radio, and electronic communication.
- Ability to work safely around construction activities, mechanical equipment, vehicles, tools, cleaning products, dust, odors, temperature variations, and elevated noise levels.
- Ability to respond to facility emergencies, including outside normal working hours.
- Ability to remain alert and exercise appropriate judgment in potentially hazardous environments.
- Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.</
